BMD politically dead-Analyst
Tsaone Basimanebotlhe | Monday January 19, 2026 09:43
Speaking in an interview with Mmegi on Thursday, Monyatsi said the BMD has reached what she described as a natural political death, marked by its inability to carry out even the most basic party activities. The BMD was formed in 2010 after some members had fallout with the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP).
That was after former BDP president, Ian Khama, failed to accept people such as the late Gomolemo Motswaledi, current vice president Ndaba Gaolathe, Botsalo Ntuane, among others, in the BDP central committee after having been elected in Kanye congress. According to Monyatsi, the party’s failure to convene leadership structures, hold congresses, or maintain a visible presence in national politics signals the end of the BMD's relevance.
“The BMD decisions are made by the National Executive Committee (NEC) and Congress, which is the highest decision-making body. If the party cannot hold congress, there is something wrong,” she said. She said the clearest sign of the BMD’s demise is its failure to form a quorum to elect leadership. For Monyatsi, this alone confirms that the party no longer has an active membership base capable of sustaining internal democracy. 'When was the last time the BMD held a congress or conference?' she asked, adding that such gatherings are the heartbeat of any political organisation.
Without them, she said, there is no platform for debate, accountability, or decision-making. She questioned where and how party members currently meet to discuss policy positions or chart the party’s future. Monyatsi said the recent departure of former party president Thuso Tiego speaks volumes about the party’s internal decay. She argued that when leaders abandon a party they once headed, it often reflects deep-rooted organisational paralysis rather than isolated personal decisions. She further criticised the party’s prolonged silence on national issues, noting that the BMD has failed to offer commentary, policy alternatives, or public engagement on key political and socio-economic developments affecting the country.
Monyatsi said the silence has gradually erased the party from the public consciousness. The analyst also said the BMD’s performance in the 2024 General Elections further confirmed its political irrelevance. She noted that the party failed to make any meaningful impact at the polls, a reflection of its weakened structures and shrinking support base. More damaging, Monyatsi said, was the party’s failure to field a presidential candidate for the 2024 elections.
She described this as unprecedented for a party that once positioned itself as a serious alternative in Botswana’s political landscape. According to her, this failure alone underscores the extent to which the BMD has retreated from national competition. Monyatsi emphasised that political parties do not exist merely by name or historical legacy.
For a party to remain alive, she said, it must have functional structures at national, regional, and grassroots levels, as well as active members who participate in decision-making processes. She argued that the absence of these elements has rendered the BMD a shell, surviving only on paper while lacking real political life on the ground.
Without branches, regular meetings, and leadership renewal, she said, a party cannot mobilise supporters or contest elections effectively. Monyatsi observed that if the BMD still harbours any hope of survival, it must urgently rebuild from the ground up. This would require re-establishing structures, recruiting members, and restoring internal democracy through properly constituted congresses. She stressed that congresses are not optional but central to a party’s existence, as they provide legitimacy to leadership and direction to policy.
Without such activities, she said, a party ceases to function as a democratic institution. However, Monyatsi warned that time may already have run out for the BMD. With each passing year of inactivity and organisational failure, she said, the party drifts further into political obscurity, making recovery increasingly unlikely. In her assessment, the BMD’s story serves as a cautionary tale for political parties that neglect internal democracy, grassroots engagement, and organisational discipline. Without these foundations, she said, even once-prominent parties can fade into political history.
Meanwhile, the BMD constitution article 16.8 says the nominations for the offices of the president, deputy president, national chairperson, the secretary general, the deputy secretary general, the treasurer general, the deputy treasurer general, the national organising secretary and the national policy director, upon the presiding officer calling for nominations, be made from the floor of the congress by any delegate at the congress present. Additionally, the constitution states that the party shall hold congress every two years.